UC Davis Medical Center - History

History

The history of UC Davis Medical Center dates to May 3, 1850 when Sacramento City Council recommended that a hospital be built. The Sacramento County Hospital was established as a result, in 1852.

In 1871, the hospital was moved to a 22-acre (89,000 m2) parcel of land on Stockton Blvd in Sacramento, CA; the present location of UC Davis Medical Center. Just five years later, the original facility was destroyed by fire. In 1879, a new hospital was completed and accepted by the county. This facility was designed by N.D. Goodell, architect of the Governors Mansion in Sacramento. It stood until 1914, when construction of an entirely new facility was proposed. The main hospital building was completed in 1928, and still stands today. It was incorporated into the north/south wing of the main hospital in 1950.

In 1964, 34,000 square feet (3,200 m2) of space was added to the hospital. Two years later, the facility became a community hospital, making everyone in Sacramento County eligible for patient care. In 1966, an affiliation agreement was reached with UC Davis, making the hospital a primary teaching hospital, and expanding its mission to include education and research. The Medical School at Davis opened its doors on September 23, 1968 and one month later a dedication ceremony changed the name of the hospital from Sacramento County Hospital to the Sacramento Medical Center.

In 1970, defeat of a Health Sciences Bond issue squelched the hopes of a new V.A. hospital in Davis, CA, setting in motion an agreement signed two years later between the County of Sacramento and UC Davis. This agreement provided for the transfer of ownership and operation of the hospital to the University. That same year, UC Regents purchased 32 acres (130,000 m2) of vacant land east of 45th street, formerly used by the California State Fairgrounds. This purchase increased the size of the medical center campus to 54 acres (220,000 m2). The Sacramento Medical Center officially became the University of California, Davis Medical Center on July 1, 1978, five years after its purchase on July 1, 1973.